Michele Rosenthal of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., has tried every styling
trick in the book to make her hair look thicker. She’s grown bangs to provide
the illusion of more hair in the front and uses wide headbands to make it look
fuller in the back. She is
self-conscious about her hair and over the years it has affected her. On dates,
when a man would ask her to let her hair down, she often found herself
exclaiming, “Don’t touch the headband!”
Rosenthal has dealt with thinning hair since the age of 21, after a
diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At 42, she has recovered
from PTSD, but her hair is still thin - and at times it still bothers her. “It
makes you feel frustrated and powerless and pathetic,” Rosenthal tells WebMD.
“There is no explanation, nothing wrong with me, but I looked like I was 80.
You feel like you are not being represented by your body as the person you are
in your mind.”
There are various medical treatments that can cure or improve hair loss like
Rosenthal’s. But, like her, many women prefer not to take medication or have
hair transplants. Luckily, there are a wide range of cosmetic options that can
help the situation and make women feel more comfortable with their appearance.
Common Problem
Rosenthal is not alone in her struggle. Female pattern hair loss, or alopecia,
impacts about 30 million American women, according to the American Academy of
Dermatology.
Amy McMichael, MD, has a hair disorders clinic that she runs one day a
week at her practice at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in
Winston-Salem, N.C. She often has a 10-month waiting list and said, if she
chose, she could fill her practice with these patients.
“There is a huge demand by women to get consultations,” McMichael says.
“I think female pattern hair loss is one of the most common things I see in
women from the early 40s on up.” People typically shed 110-150 hairs per day.
That's normal. Beyond that, hair loss in women can occur at any time, but
often begins after menopause. It is most often due to hormonal changes and
genetics (either side of the family). But it can also occur after pregnancy, because
of stress to the body like trauma or surgery, when there are hormone
abnormalities like excessive testosterone or a thyroid deficiency, or simply
from too much hair breakage. If it is not treated, in some cases it may be
permanent.
While hormones and genetics are often the cause of hair loss,
dermatologist Victoria Barbosa, MD, of Millennium Park Dermatology in Chicago,
says it's a good idea to check with a dermatologist to make sure it is not a
sign of some other problem like an autoimmune, thyroid, or scalp disease.
McMichael, a consultant for Johnson & Johnson (the makers of
Rogaine), tells WebMD that women typically don’t experience hair loss all at
once. It frequently occurs over time. There is usually thinning around the
crown and at the sides and some gradual, increased shedding. The hair’s part
begins to widen, a ponytail has less volume, and the scalp may start to show
through the hair.
“Some people start in their 30s and some in their 60s,” she says. “It
happens over time. It is slow, and then one day, it starts to bother you.” One
of the first steps to improving the look of thinning hair is to experiment with
styling products. Most women start with shampoo, and volumizing products do a
good job of giving the appearance of fuller hair, Barbosa says. She tells WebMD
that there are too many ingredients to list, but looking for one with some sort
of protein is a good place to start. Kutcher recommends looking for words like
“body,” “volume,” “texture” or “thickness.”
It is also a good idea to avoid products with a lot of moisture, which
only weighs the hair down. Barbosa recommends focusing conditioner on the ends
of the hair, not at the roots. Shampoo and conditioners combined often have too
much moisture. “I think that, for a lot of women, there is unfortunately a lot
of trial and error involved (in finding the right products),” says Barbosa, who
used to work for L'Oreal. “I would also say that women should not expect
superior results just from a shampoo system alone - it’s like step one and best
for people with little loss.”
A second group of products are mousses, gels, and sprays. Kutcher says
mousses and sprays are the best bet because they tend to add texture, but are
lighter than gels. Two other options are cosmetic enhancements -- powder and
scalp concealer. The powder made up of keratin fibers that matches one’s
hair color and is sprinkled on the hair and scalp. The products (such as
HairMax Hair Fibers, Super Million Hair Enhancement Fibres, Toppik Hair
Building Fibers, and XFusion Keratin Hair Fibers) adhere by static electricity
and create volume.
Another option is a scalp concealer, a loose powder that is close to the
color of the hair, that is applied directly to the scalp. It works to reduce
the visibility of skin under thinning hair. These products can’t always be
found in drug stores, but are readily available online.
Color, Styling
There are also some styling tips that can be performed in a salon or at
home, that can thicken and bulk up the hair’s texture.
One is a good haircut. Although many women may be tempted to grow their
hair out to have more of it, they should keep it relatively short, so it weighs
less, says Kristopher Kutcher, owner of Kristopher’s Hair Studio, Inc. in
Quincy, Ill. If it’s not too thin, layers can also give lift, he says.
When done well, chemical treatments won’t damage the hair and can also
help add texture, Kutcher says. Perms change the hair’s physical texture and
make each strand fuller. “It is all about taking that hair strand and bulking
it up or causing the cuticle to swell or be rougher to add texture,” he says.
Coloring products swell the cuticles and add more texture while leaving
the hair’s integrity, Kutcher says. A combination of highlights and lowlights
can create contour and the illusion of texture. Demi-permanent colors can also
be good for thin hair. Kutcher says those products work like a shellac on wood
- they coat the strands and build up over several applications, adding
thickness. At home, women can do their best to keep hair healthy and reduce
breakage. Kutcher recommends letting it dry naturally after washing, using a
mousse, thermal protectant, and drying just briefly on medium heat while
brushing with a round boar’s hair brush.
When using any kind of heated styling appliance, don’t let it get
intensely hot, Barbosa says. Use the lowest heat possible and never use curling
or flat irons on wet hair. Aside from her cherished headbands, Rosenthal uses
small clips to gather her hair in sections, to make it look fuller. She uses
“granny clips” to make pin curls at night or braids it before bed so it has
more volume the next day. Rosenthal used to worry that she would be bald by the
time she was 50. Although she has moved beyond awkward dating moments (she has
a partner now who loves her hair), she is still self-conscious.
And though she has essentially made peace with her hair loss, she still
seeks ways to make it look as good as she can. “I’m not a vain person, so I
hate that it bothers me,” Rosenthal says. “I looked at extensions and wigs, but
I try to do the things that help me stay most true to myself and at the same
time help make me feel better about how I look.”
WebMD
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